Student Facilities

With about 480 pupils at the main school site, Bootham's facilities would happily match a school twice its size. Here we have broken these facilities down into three main themes:

Learning

Archives

The Bootham Archives provide an excellent research facility. They not only contain the school's historical records but also provide a fascinating insight into the lives of Quaker influences and influential Quaker reformers such as Joseph Rowntree, founder of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Art and Design

Three studios, ceramics and printing activities, and two excellent design technology workshops – first class academic and extra curricular resources.

Drama

The award-winning Hall offers a fine venue for Drama with a good-sized stage, orchestra pit and technical set-up. In addition, a fully equipped drama studio provides an excellent teaching facility. There are several productions each year for pupils of all ages.

Laboratories

The school has always enjoyed a reputation for excellence in science, with eighteen Old Scholars having become Fellows of the Royal Society (FRS). Now seven laboratories with the latest ICT equipment provide specialist science teaching in each discipline from the very earliest years.

Library

The beautiful ‘Arts and Crafts’ period library is named after leading parliamentary reformer and Bootham Old Scholar, John Bright. The library has been fully modernised and comprises separate fiction and reference sections together with a mezzanine floor for private study.

As well as over 10,000 books, a suite of computers and laptops, an extensive collection of multi-media resource material, periodicals and a newspaper cuttings service, the library has a virtual network available via the school’s intranet. It is overseen by a full-time qualified Librarian who is actively involved in the development of pupils' research skills.

Music

The Music School and Theatre provide wonderful opportunities for developing musical talent. Around two-thirds of Bootham pupils study an individual instrument, a level of participation rarely achieved outside specialist music schools. The school orchestra, choirs, bands, ensembles and individual performers give regular concerts and have been highly successful in both regional and national competitions, including a former pupil who was named national young composer of the year in 2004. The weekly programme of public performances in the beautiful Georgian Recital Room draws a regular capacity audience.

Teaching

Each subject specialism has its own departmental area within the main campus. Classrooms are all IT equipped and each department has its own resource area with departmental library collections and multi-media teaching aides. For more information about individual subjects, see the main menu.

Leisure

Computers / IT

The school has fast 24-hour broadband which every PC in the school is connected to. We run the very latest software, including Office, Frontpage and Adobe Photoshop, and email is available to all pupils. There are colour laser printers in each of the two dedicated ICT suites and each suite has the benefit of a projector and smart board.

Observatory

The school observatory is an unusual feature in a school of this size and gives pupils the chance to take an active interest in the universe beyond our world. With two telescopes and revolving roof the observatory has recently undergone major refurbishment. You can can join the Bootham Observatory Blog for all the latest news at http://www.boothamastro.blogspot.com/.

Sport

The sports hall, indoor swimming pool, squash courts, tennis courts, games pitches and orienteering course are all on site with more games pitches a short fifteen minute walk away at the Clifton estate. Individual sports such as fencing, judo, table tennis and riding (off site) are actively pursued along with the main team games (see ' prospectus on line ').

Life

Boarding

Four boarding houses in elegant Georgian buildings (see ‘boarding' on the main menu).

Campus

Set in a spacious nine-acre estate, just 300 metres from York Minster, the main school campus consists of Georgian town houses - including two of the three boarding houses - along with a full range of school buildings all tastefully blended to link the old and the new.

Outside there are lawns and gardens, a sports field and a beautiful cricket ground, all surrounded by mature trees. Just off the main campus is Evelyn House, for Sixth Form boys. A short fifteen minute walk takes you to the Clifton Estate. Here there are a further fifteen acres of grounds, sports fields and our Junior School.

Careers

An up-to-date Careers Library with full multimedia resources.

Health Centre

A team of four qualified nursing staff, who also act as counsellors, provide round the clock care for all our pupils. All boarders may be registered with our visiting Doctor.

We welcome all visitors to Bootham School. Most of our ground floor areas have a good degree of access and we are committed to developing accessibility. However, given the historic nature of most of our buildings, access beyond the ground floor level is restricted. This includes all our residential boarding accommodation, the Observatory and the Recital Room, together with most of our administrative offices.